BlueEyed Treachery: A Harry Potter Story
by Karulaa
Summary: A strange prophecy brings a Slytherin and Griffyndor together...
1. Chapter 1

Part One

"Hey, Harry!" Kathryn Langdon called over the noisy chattering that filled the Great Hall. "Save me a seat, 'k?" The lanky fifth year looked up, a shock of his unruly black hair falling in front of his sparkling green eyes. "No problem, Kat!" he called cheerfully, pushing his hair back and waving at her. The Hogwarts students began taking their seats and the chattering died down as a group of nervous first years was ushered to the front of the hall by the Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall.

The group stopped in front of a wooden stool on which rested a shabby hat. Kat frowned as a scuffle broke out near the front of the group. A small blond haired boy with ice blue eyes had pushed his way up to the front, knocking several children over. Her eyes narrowed, and she shot a quick glance at the Slytherin table, where her arch-enemy Draco Malfoy sat. Draco was looking back, but he turned away quickly when he noticed Kathryn staring at him. Curious, she thought, _Strange, I wonder what _that_ was all about?!_ Then she turned her attention back to the sorting, and smiled fondly as she remembered the day she was placed in Griffyndor…

_Kathryn __looked around in awe at the grandeur of the Great Hall. The tables were set for the evening meal, candlelight glimmered throughout the room, and the domed ceiling, which rose high above her, was speckled with stars._

_She walked nervously towards the front of the room, consciously aware of the many pairs of curious eyes trained on her. Legs trembling, she walked up to the stairs leading to the Sorting Hat, and stopped. Suddenly she felt someone push her roughly aside, as a voice snarled, "Out of my way, bitch!" Kathryn spun around and glared daggers at the blond haired boy who had shoved her. _

_He had piercing ice blue eyes and his face was twisted into an unpleasant smirk. Kat looked him squarely in the face, hazel eyes flashing as she hissed, "Look you bloody git, touch me one more time and I swear to God, I will give you such a crack over your skull that you'll have to drop your pants to say hello!" He looked at her in shock, clearly not expecting so much aggression. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but then the sorting began._

_After Stacey Harris was sorted into Ravenclaw, it was Kat's turn. "Langdon, Kathryn." Professor McGonagall called, and Kathryn walked up to the stool, sat down, and with trembling hands, placed the Sorting Hat on her head. She jumped slightly, then inwardly gave a relieved sigh as the Hat shouted, "Griffyndor!"_

_A smile of relief crossed her face, and the Gryffindor table applauded loudly as she sat down. Next, Draco Malfoy, the blond haired boy who had pushed her, sat down. Before the hat had even touched his head, however, it shouted "Slytherin!" He gave Kathryn a strange look as he sat down at his table, but she was too busy applauding her new friend Harry Potter (who had also been sorted into Gryffindor) to notice._

Kathryn jerked back to reality as Professor McGonagall called, "Malfoy, Felix." She watched silently as the young Draco look-alike placed the hat on his head. The hat was silent for a long time, and the entire hall waited, breaths held anxiously to hear the outcome. Then, suddenly, loudly, and to the complete and utter surprise of every person in the room, the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!"

A dead silence filled the hall. Then Neville Longbottom (as oblivious as ever) began to applaud. However, the less than warm welcome at the Gryffindor table caused the hopeful smile to melt off Felix's face. Kathryn looked over at Draco to see his reaction, and was surprised to find that he was looking at her again.

****************

After dinner, the Gryffindors filed up the stairs, stopping at the portrait of the Fat Lady. A shock of bright red hair bobbed through the crowd as Kat's good friend Ron Weasely made his way to the front of the group. He puffed out his chest, proudly displaying his prefect's badge. "Let me through," he announced importantly. "I'm a prefect! Hippogriff!" The Fat Lady giggled. "Sorry," she said. "That's not the password." Ron sputtered incoherently. "Bu-but-I-he- wha—?" "Oh, Ronald! You're hopeless!" Hermione Granger sighed. "Quidditch!" She gave Ron a look as the portrait swung forward to reveal a doorway. "Honestly, Ron, pay more attention!" Ron was too busy sulking to answer, so he just threw her a dirty look. Kat swallowed a grin, then she and Harry followed the rest of the Gryffindors into the Common Room.

Felix Malfoy was tagging along behind Kat and Harry, and as they stopped in the Common Room to chat, he spoke up shyly. "E-excuse me…" Kat spoke over him in a loud voice. "How could a _Malfoy_ get into Gryffindor?! They're all the same; mean gits with big heads!" Felix looked startled.

"Kat, really, that's not necessary…" Harry hissed under his breath. Felix spoke up then. "Excuse me, but Draco and I don't mean to be that way. It's our da's fault." Kat looked skeptically at the small first year. "I'll believe that when I see it!" she laughed.

*****************

The next day on her way to Potions (which was her least favorite class), Kathryn's book bag split, sending papers, books and quills scattering through the hallway. "Oh no," she groaned; she'd probably be late now. Hermione and Harry stopped to help her pick up her things, and then to Kat's utter surprise, Draco Malfoy knelt down beside her as well, and began scooping up papers. "You look nice today," he said quietly. Harry and Hermione gaped at him in shock, then Hermione hissed, "Don't trust him Kat, it's probably a trick!" Malfoy shot her a glare, then snapped, "Look you Mud—. Look. It's not a trick! I promise." Hermione glared at him suspiciously. "You almost called me a Mudblood again, didn't you?" Draco looked embarrassed. "I know," he said sheepishly. "And I—I'm sorry." Hermione had always had a witty reply to Draco Malformed comments before, but not this time. "Come on," Draco said, handing Kathryn her things. "I'll walk you to class." _What the hell_, she decided. _I'll give him a chance. _Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, then shrugged and followed them to Potions.

****************

"Potter, Granger and Langdon! You're late!" Professor Snape said with a malevolent smirk. "Let's see," he continued, the enjoyment all too plain in his voice. "That's fifteen points from Gryffindor. Each!"

"That's not fair!" Kat cried. "Well, Miss Langdon," said Snape silkily. "Let's take another twenty points for disrespect. Now sit down!" Fuming, she did as she was told, as a voice called out from the back of the classroom, "She's right Professor, it's not fair! I was late too. If they lose points so do I!"

Kat turned around in surprise to see Draco standing at his seat. He smiled and winked at her as Snape said reluctantly, "Very well, fifteen points from Slytherin." He stalked to the front of the room and said, "I want a roll of parchment explaining the properties of a bezoar. Start writing!" Kat smiled. Maybe Draco wasn't so bad after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day in the hall, Kathryn was cornered by Crabbe and Goyle. They were teasing her as usual, but oddly enough, Draco wasn't with them. Crabbe pushed her against the wall and laughed. "Stupid good-for-nothing bitch!" Kat kept silent, knowing that they would leave sooner if they couldn't get a reaction out of her.

Suddenly, Crabbe went skidding sideways, and a voice growled, "Don't you _ever_ call her that! And keep your hands off her!" It was Draco! Crabbe got off the floor, a bewildered look on his ugly face. "Shove off!" Draco snarled, and the two bullies scurried off down the hallway, casting fearful looks over their shoulders. "Sorry about that," said Draco, with an apologetic grin. Kat made a noncommittal noise as he helped her gather her things. "So," she said carefully. "What prompted such a change?" Draco got a strange look on his face and whispered, "Not here, I don't want anyone to listen…" He trailed off and stuffed a note into Kat's hand, backing away hurriedly. "I-I have to go," he stammered, and then raced away, leaving her standing perplexed in the hallway, still clutching his note.

****************

Kat rushed into Divination class just as the bell rang, and slid into her seat. Professor Trelawney looked at her through her enormous spectacles, then cleared her throat and said in her dreamy, husky voice, "All right, please open your textbooks to page 23. Today we will learn how to read omens in the stars…"

Kat opened her textbook, and then tuned the Professor out. It looked like another boring lesson. Suddenly she remembered Draco's note, and pulled it out of her pocket and opened it.

Meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight at midnight. I'll explain everything.

Draco

Kat wondered what could possibly be such a secret, but her train of thought was broken by a cough from Professor Trelawney. "And what, I wonder, is in that note that could _possibly _be more important than my lesson?" Kat shrugged. "You're the all-knowing Divination teacher. Why don't you tell me?"

She heard several gasps from the students, and Professor Trelawney puffed herself up indignantly. "Twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss Langdon," she said sharply, as Kat mentally kicked herself for her stupid comment. Then she turned back to her lesson on the stars. Kat sighed as she took out a quill and parchment and began taking notes. It was going to be a long day.

**********************

That evening, after everyone was asleep, Kat grabbed her Invisibility Cloak and headed up the stairs to the tower. As she crept along, she pondered this strange new Draco, and when she reached the door at the top of the last flight of stairs, she paused for a moment in thought. Then she took her Invisibility Cloak off and swung the door open.

A strange sight met her eyes. A slumped figure sat in front of the window, sobbing quietly. Was that—Draco? Kat's sense of compassion took over and she walked up silently behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and wiped his eyes, looking up at her with a sad smile. "Sorry you had to see me like this," he said softly.

"Draco, what's wrong?" It was probably the first time Kat had called him by his first name. She sat and listened compassionately as he told her about his past.

"It's the way I was brought up," he explained bitterly. "My father taught me to hate all Muggles and—." He winced as he said the word, "mudbloods," he continued, taking a shaky breath. "After three years of being beaten for not obeying him, hatred became a habit. A habit I kept until I met you." Kat looked confused. "Why until you met me?" she asked. He took a deep breath and looked her in the face. "Because you were different," he said. "Because you made a difference. Because you were you." Kat frowned, still not understanding. He continued. "You had real friends; friends who liked you for who you were, and not because they were scared of you. I envied that.

"My father kept pushing for me to follow in his footsteps, and he even k-killed—he e-even killed my c-cousin. She was the best friend I ever had, and now she's dead." They were both sitting against the wall of the tower, and as he finished his story, he began to cry again. Once again, Kat's compassionate nature took over, and she put her arms around him, and let him cry on her shoulder.

After a while, his tears abated, and he sat up and dried his eyes. Kat were still a little bemused that he should change so completely, but she had pretty much accepted it. She was startled to realize how perfect he felt in her arms, and how much more beautiful the night seemed. Draco looked at her. "W-will you tell me your story now?" he asked.

A shadow passed over Kat's face, and she said, "I-I don't think I'm ready for that yet." She got up hurriedly, saying, "We should probably be getting back now." Then she ran down the stairs back to the safety of her own bed.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day at breakfast, Kat told Harry, Ron, and Hermione everything that had happened the night before. Hermione giggled. "Usually, it's the guy who comforts the girl!" "Don't laugh, Hermione!" Kat snapped. "He can't help it! You'd probably do the same thing!" Hermione stopped laughing, and looked serious. "Kat…be careful! It could be a trick!" Kat thought for a moment then frowned, saying, "I don't think so Hermione, but I think I know how we can tell." Harry frowned, confused, and Ron (whose mouth was crammed full of food) muttered, "Aybeek ud shink simer sum tin." "Oh for heaven's sake, Ron!" said an exasperated Hermione. "Don't talk with your mouth full!" Ron swallowed hastily, then said, "Sorry. Maybe we could jinx him or something." "No," said Harry, "There's no jinx that can make someone tell the truth."

"No, there isn't," Kat agreed. "But there _is _Veritaserum…" Hermione's fork clattered against her plate, and she stared at her as if she had suddenly sprouted antlers. "What, are you mad?!" she hissed. "That stuff takes _ages_ to make, and half the ingredients are almost impossible to find! You'll never be able to make it!"

Kat gave her a sly smile and a wink and said, "Who said I was going to make it?" Hermione gasped, and even Harry looked a little worried. Ron, not paying attention as usual, just kept eating. "Oh, Kat," said Hermione, "What are you going to do now?" "Please don't do anything stupid," added Harry. "No worries, mates," Kat said cheerily, as she got up and hurried out of the Great Hall. " I know what I'm doing!"

*************

Kathryn stood in front of the stone gargoyle that hid the stairs to Dumbledore's office, and fervently hoped that he wasn't there. She pulled the Marauders' Map out of her pocket, tapped the blank piece of parchment with the tip of her wand, and murmured, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Instantly dark lines began to spider out across the parchment, turning into a map of Hogwarts. Tiny dots, each labeled with a name, moved through the hallways and rooms on the map. Kat scanned the parchment until she located a dot labeled A. Dumbledore. _Good,_ she thought, _he's still eating._ "Er-er," she muttered, trying to remember the password that Harry had given her.

"Honeydukes?" she ventured hopefully. With a grating sound, the gargoyle shifted aside to reveal the moving staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. Kat breathed a sigh of relief and tapped the map with her wand again. "Mischief managed," she whispered, folding the map and cramming it into her pocket as the lines disappeared. Then she hurried up the stairs as the secret entrance slid shut.

Once inside Dumbledore's office, she scanned the room until she found what she was looking for. On a shelf in an oaken cabinet was a small glass vial filled with a clear liquid. She took it down from the shelf and tucked it away in a pocket. As she turned to go, she heard a grating sound. _Oh, Merlin,_ she thought. _Someone's coming!_

Kat looked around for a hiding spot and stepped into a large wardrobe, closing the door just as Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall entered the room.

She pushed the various robes and coats around, and to her surprise, one of them was an Invisibility Cloak. _Well, that's handy_, she thought, taking it down and draping it over her knees. She listened closely as McGonagall and Dumbledore conversed in hushed tones, and was surprised to hear that they were talking about her!

"She needs to know!" said McGonagall. "She can't spend her entire life not knowing about the prophesy!" "Yes, yes, I know Minerva!" said Dumbledore calmly. "She will know soon. I have been observing Mr. Malfoy and Miss Langdon, and they seem to be working it all out on their own." Professor McGonagall sighed and said sadly, "I am afraid that those two have some rough times ahead of them. It's strange though, I mean, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin? How can that possibly—."

Unfortunately, Kat's foot chose that moment to cramp, and as she tried to move it to a more comfortable position, it slipped and banged against the side of the wardrobe. She hurriedly pulled the Invisibility Cloak over herself as Professor McGonagall's footsteps hurried to the wardrobe. She flung the doors open, and blinked in surprise at finding nothing there. Suspicious, she began to reach into the wardrobe, but as she did so, Dumbledore said, "Minerva, will you please take this note to Hagrid? Thank you."

Professor McGonagall gave the wardrobe one last suspicious glare, then took the proffered note and went out the door and down the stairs. _Good,_ Kat thought. _Now I just have to wait for Dumbledore to—._ "Miss Langdon?" called Dumbledore. "You can come out now." _Damn! _Kat thought as she climbed reluctantly out of the wardrobe, ready for some sort of punishment. Instead, Dumbledore merely said, "Run along. I'm sure you have things to do."

She was _very_ curious about the prophesy that Professor McGonagall had mentioned, but decided not to push her luck, and instead just went back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where she knew her three friends were waiting for her.

***********************

Kat ran all the way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, and as she slipped inside, her three friends looked up expectantly. "Well?!" demanded Hermione. "What did you do_ this_ time?!" Kat told them everything that had happened, and ended by handing the Marauders' Map back to Harry.

"Sorry mate," she grinned, "but I nicked this from your trunk." Harry grinned and said, "No problem. So--" Hermione cut him off impatiently. "What's this prophesy you were talking about?"

Kat gave Harry a pleading look, and he broke in hurriedly, "So, how are you going to give the Veritaserum to Malfoy?" Ron had caught the look passing between her and Harry, and for once he caught on. "Yeah, I mean, you can't just shove it down his throat," he said. "You're right," Kat agreed, purposefully avoiding Hermione's eyes. "And we can't just ask him to drink it, because that might damage his pride."

Suddenly, she brightened. "I've got it!" she crowed. "It'll mean that I have to drink some of it myself, but that's all right!" "What are you going to do?!" chorused her friends. Kat gave them a mysterious smile. "You'll see!"

************

The next day at breakfast, Kat caught Draco on his way to the Slytherin table and said, "Hey Draco! Do you want to come sit with me and my mates?" He looked surprised. "Um, all right then," he said, and followed her over to the Gryffindor table. There were several hostile glares and a few people muttered under their breaths. Kat glared at them. "Shove off!" she growled. "He can sit wherever he bloody chooses!" The muttering died down, and she gave Draco an apologetic grin. "Sorry about that mate!" she said with a shrug. He smiled uncertainly and said, "That's all right."

Kat reached for her goblet as soon as it was filled, discreetly uncorking the tiny glass bottle of Veritaserum. She tipped a few drops into her drink, took a sip, and then made a face. "Oh, wow!" she said. "Does this taste weird to you?" she asked, offering her goblet to Draco and giving her friends a sly wink as she did so. He took it from her, tasted the contents, then shrugged. "Tastes fine to me," he said. "Oh, okay," Kat said, then asked him casually, "So, Draco, can we _really_ trust you?" He gave her a strange look, then said, "Of course you can!" Kat breathed a sigh of relief, then her mischievous nature took over, and she asked, "So, as a show of good faith, will you answer a question for me?" He nodded, and she asked gleefully, "All right, who do you think the prettiest girl in Hogwarts is?" Hermione giggled into her goblet, and Harry stifled a laugh by pretending to cough into his napkin. "You!" Draco said, immediately blushing bright red. Hermione stopped giggling and looked at him in shock, while Harry turned to help Ron, who was choking on a piece of bacon. Kat's jaw dropped open, and she looked at Draco in disbelief. After a long, embarrassing silence, she shook her head and said "Wow…" Kat looked around at her friends. Hermione just looked at her and frowned in disapproval. Harry gave her an amused grin, and Ron, who had gotten over the initial shock, was eating again. Kat shook her head again, then held up her goblet. "All right then," she said cheerfully. "Since we're all friends now and everything, is anyone up for a game of truth or dare?"


	4. Chapter 4

"So," Hermione asked later that evening. "He wasn't upset about the Veritaserum?" Kat shook her head and smiled. Draco had asked her out earlier that day, something that she was still unwilling to share with her friends. "No," she said. "He took it pretty well, thought it was very clever in fact."

Kat flopped down on her bed and put her hands behind her head. She was drifting off to sleep, when Hermione spoke again. "Kat…are you awake?"

"Nope. Sound asleep actually," she said firmly. "Go to sleep, Hermione." She sounded troubled as she said, "No, Kat, don't tune me out, this is important."

Kat sighed, and rolled over on her stomach to face Hermione, who looked worried as she said, "Kat, this prophesy, what did it say?" Kat snorted. "Huh! Why does it matter? It's really none of my business." Hermione sighed. "But it _is_!" she said softly. "It could affect your whole life, and maybe even Draco's as well!"

Kat sat bolt upright and bristled at that. "Leave him out of this! This has nothing to do with him!" she snarled. "Yes it does!" Hermione cried. "You said yourself that Dumbledore mentioned his name!" Lavender Brown's voice drifted sleepily from the other side of the room. "Would you two shut up and go to bed?!"

Kat looked at Hermione and said softly, "Look, Dumbledore will tell me when he thinks it's the right time. Until then, I'm just not going to worry about it." Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something, but Kat cut her off. "Good night, Hermione." she said firmly.

*********************

The next morning, as Kat and Hermione went downstairs to breakfast, they met Draco at the doors to Great Hall. He gave Kat a conspiratorial wink and said, "Good morning, Kat! Morning, Hermione!" Hermione looked at him, one eyebrow raised skeptically, not saying anything. Kat elbowed her, and she said reluctantly, "Good morning, Mal—." She elbowed her again. "Draco." She finished, giving Kat a look that clearly said, _There! Are you happy?!_

Kat waved at Draco as he headed to the Slytherin table. They had mutually agreed to sit at their respective tables, so as not to attract unwanted attention.

"Honestly," Hermione complained as they sat down to eat. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you _liked_ him or something!"

"That's ridiculous!" Kat said stiffly, cramming a piece of toast into her mouth to avoid further questioning. "Gross!" said Ron. "Kat, that's disgusting!"

Harry laughed and said, "I don't know Ron, you're not exactly a model of good manners yourself!" Ron gave him a dirty look, and started eating again. Kat breathed a sigh of relief. _Phew,_ she thought, _that was a close one!_

_***************_

Later that day, in transit to her next class, Draco brushed past Kat in the hallway. As he did so, she felt a scrap of paper pushed into her hand. Puzzled, she opened the note and read:

Tonight; same place same time.

Yours, Draco

"What's that?" said a voice from behind her. Kat whirled around, hastily stuffing the note into one of the pockets in her robe. She looked down to see Felix Malfoy staring at her through bright blue eyes. She shivered as the strangest feeling overtook her. For some reason, she felt completely helpless, and her mind raced unbidden to that night so long ago…

_"Tell me where she is!" an evil voice rasped. The voice dripped with malice, and brought to mind the image of thousands of snakes writhing and twisting. Kat shuddered in her hiding place and watched, her innocent three-year-old eyes widening in fear. "Never!" her mother sobbed. "She's just a child! What has she ever done to you?" The man just laughed, a low, sinister sound that sent chills down Kat's spine. "Oh, she hasn't done anything—yet. Now tell me the answer, woman, before you end up like your precious husband!_

_"He was so brave," the man continued mockingly, "for all the good it did him," he finished callously, kicking the body that lay on the floor. Kat's mother slumped to the floor, still sobbing as the tall, black-cloaked man took a step forward, raising his wand threateningly. "Now tell me the answer before I lose my patience!" He aimed a kick at her and snarled, "Stand up you coward!"_

_Slowly Kat's mother got to her feet and faced the stranger. "Well?" the man __hissed. She drew herself up to her full height, hazel eyes flashing with defiance, and spat full in the man's face. He snarled in anger and disgust, then pointed his wand at her and roared, "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" There was a rushing sound and a flash of green light, then—silence. Kat's bottom lip quivered as she peered out of her hiding place, and saw both of her parents lying dead on the floor. _

_With his back still facing her, the man muttered, "Ah, well, the little brat won't live long without parents anyway." Then, with a final glance around the room, Lucius Malfoy walked out the door and down the stairs, leaving a helpless orphan alone with her tears and two dead bodies._

Kat jerked back to reality as a hand touched her arm. "Miss, are you all right?" asked a timid voice. She muttered a noncommittal reply, wondering what had brought back such unpleasant memories.

Kat shivered as she looked at Felix. There was something about those eyes; something that seemed sinister, and almost—snakelike. She shook off the feeling and hurried to class.


	5. Chapter 5

That night, in the tower, Kat lay sobbing quietly in Draco's arms, having told him her story. When the tears stopped, she looked at Draco, and saw his jaw clench as he said, "I swear to you Kat, I will find some way to avenge these deaths." He pulled her closer, letting her head rest on his chest, and murmured, "And I won't let anything happen to you."

They sat in each others' arms, quietly watching the stars as the moonlight cast a warm glow through the tower. Finally, Kat stirred and said softly, "I wish that this didn't have to be a secret." Draco frowned and said, "I wish the same thing, but if what you said about my father is true, then I don't want him to know that you're still alive."

Kat gave him an incredulous look. "_If _what I said is true?! So, what, do you think I'm a liar or something?!" "No, don't be ridiculous!" Draco said angrily. He sighed and said softly, " It's just, as horrible as my father has been, he's still my father. I don't want to believe it's true. I don't want to believe he's a murderer."

Kat's eyes softened as she realized the predicament that Draco was facing. "I know, Draco, I know," she said. "But didn't you tell me he killed your cousin?" A single tear fell from his ice blue eyes, glimmering like a diamond in the moonlight. Kat reached up and brushed it away as he said, "I-I guess…Oh, Kat, I just don't know what to think anymore," he said angrily, trying to hold back the tears.

Kat sighed. "Draco, it's okay to cry. Just let it all out." She wrapped her arms tighter around him as he cried on her shoulder. When the tears abated, she gave him one last hug and whispered, "Good night, Draco." Then she ran back to her dorm.

Kat changed quickly, tossing her robes on the floor as usual, and then climbed into bed. She didn't notice the scrap of parchment that fell out of her robe pocket, nor did she realize that she was not the only one in the room still awake.

***********************

The next morning when Kat woke up, she noticed two things: first, the robes that she had tossed on the floor the previous night were folded neatly and placed on the end of her bed. The second was staring her in the face—quite literally, in fact. "Dobby!" she yelled in shock. The little house elf tumbled backwards in surprise, yelling, "Oh, oh, Miss, you is in trouble! Hermione is angry she is! She knows! She knows!"

"Shut up!" Kat hissed at the house elf. "She knows about what?" Dobby's eyes grew wide and he began hitting his head against the bedpost, squealing, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" Kat grabbed the odd little creature around his waist and dragged him away from the bedpost, saying, "Dobby, it's okay! Tell me!" Dobby looked at her with wide eyes, and whispered, "She knows about the Malfoy boy!"

Kat stared at Dobby for a long while, then pounced on the neatly folded robes, digging frantically through the pockets. A paper clip…a broken quill…some Spellotape… crumbs…lint… The note. Where was the note? She looked at Dobby and hissed, "Dobby, where is the note?" He looked at her and shrugged. "Dobby is not knowing about no notes, Miss." he said.

Kat was in the midst of looking under her bed when someone coughed and said, "Ahem. Looking for _this_?"

"Uh-oh," Dobby squeaked, and then Disapparated with a loud crack. Kat looked up to see Hermione glaring at her with the note in her hand. She made a grab for it but she pulled it out of reach, saying, "Kat, how _could_ you?! I thought you knew better. You _know_ that Gryffindors and Slytherins don't mix! They're not meant to!"

Kat snatched the note from her, saying flippantly, "Yeah, well there's a first time for everything, mate." Hermione sighed. "There's no way to convince you is there." "Nope," Kat said cheerfully, as she dressed for the day. "So who all knows?"

"Just Harry and me." Hermione said. "You've got to do something!" she continued. Kat smiled, "All right, all right, I'll take care of it." she said. Hermione shook her head, and followed her out the door. "Then why don't I feel any better about this?" she muttered.

********************

Draco was waiting for Kat at the doors to Great Hall, as usual. She turned to Hermione and said, "You go on in and save us a couple of seats, 'k? I need to talk to Draco for a second." Hermione rolled her eyes, but complied. "Yeah?" said Draco. "What's up?" Kat sighed and said, "Look, Draco, I think it's time that we went public with this. You know, let everyone know that we're together." "Why?" Draco sputtered. "I thought we agreed that it was best to keep it a secret." She sighed again and said, "I know, but we're going to have to tell them sooner or later. I think it's best to just get it over with now."

He looked at her worriedly. "How exactly do we do this?" he asked. Kat smiled and took his hand. "Come on. It's easy. Just relax. And whatever you do, no matter what they say, don't let it get to you." He smiled nervously, and said, "Right. Let's do it." And together, they walked hand in hand into the Great Hall for breakfast.

********************

Kat knew that there would be a few comments, but she wasn't prepared for the hubbub that awaited her when she walked in to breakfast. As she and Draco strolled through the doors hand in hand, an uproar broke out. As they passed the Slytherin table, Pansy Parkinson hissed, "Draco, you could do so much better than that slut!" She was not the only heckler in the crowd, though. Several comments and insults flew through the air and as they reached the Gryffindor table, Hermione and Harry sat still and said nothing, though Kat could have sworn she saw Harry trying to hide a smile. Ron, however, had obviously not been told. His eyes widened and he said, "Bloody hell! Kat, are you mad?!" Kat gave Draco's hand a squeeze, smiled and said, "No, not mad. Just in love." They sat down and began to eat while Hermione and Harry filled Ron in on the details. Kat smiled to herself, and as she glanced up at the Head Table, she could have sworn that Dumbledore was winking at her.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ha! That went better than I thought," Kat said smugly as she headed to the day's first class: Potions. Draco gave her a lazy smile. "Yeah," he said casually. "Except that we're late for Potions now." he finished calmly. "Oh, Merlin!" Kat gasped. She and Draco hurried into the classroom, and all eyes were on her as Snape hissed with obvious enjoyment, "After repeated warnings, Miss Langdon, you are once again tardy. This is the fourth time this term.

"Now, let's see," Snape continued maliciously. "You are ten minutes late, hmm…from now on, Miss Langdon, for every minute you are late to my class, Gryffindor loses ten points. That makes one hundred points from Gryffindor." There were cries of outrage from the other Gryffindors, but they were quickly silenced by Snape who said, "If you do not wish to lose even more points, then I would suggest silence!"

Silence fell, and the students began preparing for the lesson. Kat gathered her ingredients and placed her cauldron on a stand next to Draco's. She pointed her wand at the base of her cauldron and muttered, "_Incendio!_" Instantly, a small fire was kindled beneath it.

"He's a total _ass_!" Kat muttered to Draco as she sliced a shrivelfig into quarters. He snorted quietly with laughter, stopping as Snape halted by Kat's cauldron. "Well, Miss Langdon, what is this mess?" She looked at him levelly. "It's the potion you told us to make." she said calmly.

"Are you sure?" he hissed, black eyes glittering. "Yes," she said. "Yes _sir_!" said Snape coldly. Kat acted startled, twisted around in her chair and stared with feigned interest around the room. Then she looked back at Snape and said innocently, "Where's this 'sir' you were talking about? I don't see him." The class laughed, and Snape hissed, "Be careful, Miss Langdon. It would be wise to keep your mouth closed."

Kat looked him in the face and said in a honey-sweet voice, "Look, Professor, I said I was sorry for spilling that shrinking potion in your lap," The class howled with laughter as she continued, "Besides, that was four years ago. It's not healthy to hold a grudge!" Snape looked livid. He trembled with rage and whipped out his wand. Kat smiled inwardly and fingered her own wand as he ground out between clenched teeth, "If you will not be silent of your own accord, then I will make you! _Silencio!_"

However, in the split second before he shouted the spell, Kat thought, "_Protego!_" Snape's eyes bulged as his spell bounced off. Evidently he hadn't known that she was excellent at nonverbal spells. Kat raised her wand, flicked it lazily and said, "_Expelliarmus!_"

Snape's wand flew out of his hand, and she waved her wand again, this time saying, "_Petrificus Totalis!_" Snape went rigid and toppled backwards, unable to move a muscle.

"Right," Kat said firmly. "Someone get Dumbledore. He needs to know that Snape attacked me."

***************

That evening, after Professor Snape had been freed from Kat's spell and Dumbledore, instead of lecturing her, had congratulated her on her excellent spellwork, she and Draco went to the Gryffindor Common Room. The Gryffindors had been upset by the intrusion of a Slytherin into their territory at first, but had gotten used to it by now.

"So," Draco said as they sat in front of the fire. "Are you coming to the Quidditch match next week?" he asked. "Yeah," Kat said. "Harry says that it's my turn to play, and he's letting me use his Firebolt until my new broom gets here." Draco looked at her. "You're buying a new broom?" he asked. "Yep, a Firebolt, just like Harry's. Should come in in a few days." He smiled, and they both were silent for a long while.

In the midst of the silence, Kat idly conjured up a Patronus, and Draco's eyes grew wide. "Wow! Kat, can you teach me how to do that?" he asked excitedly. "Sure," she said, "Meet me tomorrow at noon in the Room of Requirements." "Great!" said Draco. "I'll see you then!"

"_Expecto Patronum_!" shouted Draco, and a puff of silver mist straggled out of the tip of his wand. "Damn! Forget it Kat," he said disgustedly. "I can't do it." Kat pushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed. This was the third day in a row that she and Draco had met in the Room of Requirements to practice this particular spell. "Come on, Draco," she encouraged him. "It's easy. Watch."

Kat gathered up her happiest memories as she uttered the incantation. "_Expecto Patronum_!" Immediately her Patronus, a large silver tiger, streamed out of the tip of her wand. Draco looked at her enviously as she said, "Remember, think happy thoughts!"

He sighed and closed his eyes. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face, and he said, "_Expecto Patronum_!" With a whoosh, a large silver dragon erupted from his wand's tip. He looked at it in amazement and said, "I did it!" Laughing happily, Kat gave him a big hug to celebrate his achievement. Suddenly, and very impulsively, he lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her. She stiffened in shock, but then closed her eyes and let him. She never wanted that moment to end, but nothing lasts forever, and they soon broke apart. "I love you," Draco whispered. "I love you too," she said breathlessly, and in that instant, she knew that nothing would ever be the same again.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully, though, after the incident with Snape, people treated Kat with a lot more respect. The day of the Quidditch match dawned bright and clear, and as she gulped down an early breakfast, Draco hurried up to her. He pushed a small package toward her, then said quickly, "Sorry, I have to go, I'm not supposed to be down here yet." Then he rushed back upstairs. Kat opened the small box and gasped. Inside was a beautiful silver ring.

The band was shaped to look like two serpents twisted together. The heads of the serpents met at the top of the ring, mouths open, and holding a small ice-blue jewel. _Just like his eyes_, Kat thought, and slipped it on her finger. Then she picked up the note that came with the box.

My Dearest Kat,

Here is a gift to remember me by. I hope it brings

you good luck today. Even though I won't be there, my

thoughts fly with you.

Your Heart's Seeker,

Draco

Kat smiled as she picked up the Firebolt and headed to the locker room, Draco's ring on her finger.

********************

Kat met the rest of the team in the locker room and headed onto the field. They were playing Ravenclaw, and as the two teams met in the center of the field, Madame Hooch said briskly, "Right, Captains, shake hands." Kat smiled at the Ravenclaw captain, Anna Darcy, and shook her hand. She smiled back and said, "'Lo Kat. Good luck today,"

"And good luck to you, too," Kat replied. Anna was her friend, and she always hated playing against friends. However, both she and Anna had mutually agreed to drop all bonds of friendship during games. Well, almost all of them, anyway. "Mount your brooms," said Madame Hooch tersely. "On my whistle…"

The whistle blew, and both teams kicked off simultaneously. Kat immediately set off in search of the Snitch, with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, close behind her. Dimly, Kat heard Lee Jordan's commentary as she scanned the field, looking for a telltale glimmer of gold. "And they're off! Angelina Johnson has the Quaffle, and is heading towards the Ravenclaw goal. She throws the Quaffle and—oh, The Ravenclaw Keeper, Anna Darcy catches it…"

Kat tuned him out and continued looking for the Snitch. A gold flash about fifteen feet below her caught her eye. Behind her, Cho dropped into a sharp dive; she had seen it too. As Kat prepared to follow her, Anna yelled, "Kat, look out!"

Kat froze. A Bludger was coming straight at her, but there was no possible way that she could move her broom in time. She did the only thing she could think of.

She jumped straight up, and the Bludger shot between her legs. Kat dropped back down on her broom and dove after Cho. Avoiding the Bludger had cost her several precious seconds. Cho suddenly pulled up out of the dive and looked puzzled. Kat's sharp eyes caught a glint of gold behind her, and she shot off after it, Cho close behind her. The Snitch was so close, but it glittered tantalizingly just out of reach.

Kat urged the Firebolt harder, and reached out her arm. She gritted her teeth and stretched, fingers straining, and her hand closed around—nothing. She gave a growl of annoyance, and shot off after the Snitch, which had reappeared halfway down the field.

Kat glanced up at the scoreboard, and saw that it was fifty to thirty, Ravenclaw. Then she dove as she glimpsed the Snitch fluttering at the foot of the Gryffindor goalpost. Kat stretched out her arm and her fingers closed, not on nothing this time, but on the tiny, struggling Snitch. She braked the Firebolt, and raised her hand triumphantly as the cheering fans poured out onto the field.

************

Draco came running up to Kat a few hours later and gave her a big hug, sweeping her off her feet, and swinging her around. He kissed her forehead and said, "Sorry I couldn't come. But I heard you won! That's wonderful!" he said happily. Kat smiled at him and they both walked hand in hand back to the Gryffindor Common Room, chatting amicably about nothing in particular.

"Oy!" said Ron as they entered the room. He was sitting in an armchair near the fire and holding out a letter to Kat. "It just arrived," he said. "I think it's from Mum." "Great!" Kat said. "It must be a birthday card." Draco froze. "It's your birthday?" he asked worriedly. "But I didn't get you anything!" Kat smiled and said, "My birthday isn't until tomorrow. You don't need to get me anything though. I already got something from you." She discreetly fingered the beautiful ring he had given her. Draco sat down on the couch and said, "I know, but I still feel horrible for not—." "Oh, stop it!" she laughed, giving him a peck on the cheek as she settled down on the couch beside him.

Just then, Kat noticed the long, thin parcel on the floor next to Ron's chair. She gave a shriek of delight and pounced on it, ripping it open excitedly.

"It's the Firebolt!" she squealed, and Ron winced. "Bloody hell, Kat," he complained. "Turn it down a bit, will you?" "Sorry," Kat said, calming down a little. Then, with a confused look, Ron pulled two more broom-shaped packages from behind his chair. "Hang on," he said in a confused voice. If that's your new broom, then what are these?"

Kat gave a mischievous grin and said, "Oh, I almost forgot! Ron, that's yours, and Draco, this is for you. Consider it a late Christmas present." Ron got his open first, and sat gaping in shock. Then, Draco finished unwrapping his, and they both gawked at the shiny new Firebolts on their laps.

Draco was the first to move. He flung his arms around her neck and kissed her hard on the mouth. Kat closed her eyes and returned the kiss. Its intensity grew stronger and stronger, until a voice said, "Ugh, gross! That's disgusting! Get a room you two!" They broke apart, and looked up to see the Weasely twins. It was Fred who had spoken; George was behind him, gleefully making loud retching noises. Ron still hadn't moved, and sat staring at his new broom until Fred and George left the room, still laughing at Kat and Draco.

Suddenly, Ron looked up, and said, "I can't take this, Kat. It's too much." Kat snorted. "Don't be silly, Ron. It's not too much if you own the factory that makes them!" Ron gaped. "You own the factory?" he asked disbelievingly. "It belonged to my father," Kat said. "I inherited it from him."

"Oh," said Ron. "Well, thanks, Kat," he said awkwardly. "I'm going to go show Hermione!" Then he dashed out.

Kat looked back at Draco, and knew that he was thinking the same thing as she. "Draco, please don't ever tempt me like that again," she said. He nodded. "I was thinking the same thing," he agreed. "Thanks for the broom, though," he added. "No problem," Kat said, and this time she kissed him. But this time, instead of the reckless fire and passion that had threatened earlier to consume them both, it was a pure and innocent kiss, full of love and emotion.

***************

"My Lord Voldemort, your plans are continually being ruined by Kat and Draco. How should this damage be repaired?" The young Death Eater was gazing into the fireplace, speaking to the man (if it could be called such) whose head had appeared in the flames. The voice snarled, "Rip them apart."

The young Death Eater looked startled. "You mean, kill them, My Lord?" The Dark Lord hissed, sounding like a snake about to strike. "No, you fool!" he said.

"Then what, My Lord?" asked the Death Eater. The Dark Lord continued, savoring each word with malevolent enjoyment. "Sever the bond of love between them; poison their minds against one another." The Dark Lord hissed again, more softly this time, his teeth bared in an evil grimace. "That is far more painful than death!

"When the time is right, I will dispose of them myself." he finished with an evil laugh. The curtains at the back of the room shifted slightly, but the movement went unnoticed by both of them. Lord Voldemort's image flickered slightly and he said, "I must leave; I am too weak to continue.

"You have served me well, Felix Malfoy, and your rewards will be great." The image flickered again, then faded from view as young Felix Malfoy rose, and hurried from the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Hermione burst out from behind the curtain, eyes wide with fright. "I have to tell Kat and Draco," she moaned. "Oh, but I have to tell Dumbledore, too! Oh, what am I going to do?!" she wailed.

"What are you going to do about what?" Kat asked as she strolled into the room along with Harry, Ron, and Draco. Shaking with fear, Hermione told them everything she had heard. Kat grabbed her arm and said urgently, "You're right, we have to tell Dumbledore."

The five friends stood by the stone gargoyle, and as Harry said, "Lemon Drops," it revealed the secret stairway. They rushed up the stairs, and hurtled into Dumbledore's office without knocking. He looked up in surprise as Hermione breathlessly blurted out the unbelievable tale. He frowned, and set his quill down. "Can you prove any of this?" he asked seriously.

Kat winced. She hadn't thought of that. Then Hermione spoke up. "We could use Veritaserum, sir." Dumbledore peered over the top of his glasses at her and said, "We could if we had any left, but I'm afraid that our last bottle was taken for another use." He looked at Kat meaningfully, his blue eyes twinkling. She stiffened as she remembered the remnants of the bottle in her trunk. Kat stood up, saying, "I'll be right back!" Then she set off for Gryffindor at a run.

***********************

Kat quickly located the small glass bottle in the corner of her trunk and rushed back towards Dumbledore's office. As she rounded the corner, however, she ran full into someone going the opposite direction. They collided, and the little glass bottle flew out of Kat's grasp and shattered on the floor.

Kat stared aghast at the mess on the floor, as Felix Malfoy got to his feet. "Oops," he said with a smirk, then trotted off down the hallway. Kat got to her feet, a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. As she stared at the slivers of glass on the floor, she couldn't help thinking that her hopes had just shattered along with the bottle.

Dumbledore looked grave when Kat told him what had happened. "Well, without Veritaserum," he said, "You have no proof. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." As the friends rose to leave, Dumbledore said wearily, "Wait. Kat, Draco, it's time I told you the prophecy." Hermione cleared her throat. "What about us, sir?" she asked hopefully.

Dumbledore smiled. "You may stay." he said. Then he continued. "Twenty years ago, a prophecy was made. A prophecy about you and Draco. This prophecy had to do with the defeat of the Dark Lord."

"What did it say?" Kat asked, full of curiosity. Dumbledore smiled at her and said, "It was a very short prophecy, and we can only guess about some of it, but the prophecy reads thus:

"_Love is strengthened by friendships true_

_When springtime and ice unite as one._

_Eyes of green, and eyes of blue,_

_The orphaned girl and Death Eater's son._

_Their path is cloudy, their future unsure,_

_But when help is needed, it comes from above._

_When He is destroyed by a heart that is pure,_

_The Lost Ones return to those whom they love."_

A chilled silence met his words, then Ron said, "Right, that lot is about as clear as mud!" Hermione sighed. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "Springtime and ice, eyes of green and eyes of blue! Look at their eyes!" Kat looked confused. "But my eyes are _hazel_," she said. "Not green." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, and some green eyes are also called hazel. It's the same thing!"

"But what's all this stuff about springtime and ice? It doesn't make sense!" said Harry. Hermione sighed again. "What's a color that's normally associated with spring? Green! And ice refers to the shade of Draco's eyes!" Kat nodded, finally beginning to understand.

"Plus, Hermione continued, "You're an orphaned girl! And isn't Draco's father a Death Eater?" Kat felt a chill go down her spine as she looked at Draco and squeezed his hand. "And the last lines?" she asked with a swallow, dreading the answer.

"Easy," Hermione said confidently. "The word 'He' is used all the time to mean Voldemort. Oh, stop it!" she said to Ron who had flinched when she said the Dark Lord's name. She continued briskly, "So, when they say, 'He is destroyed', that obviously means that…" she trailed off as her eyes widened. "That means you're going to kill Voldemort!" she finished with a horrified gasp.


End file.
